Heel expander for horses



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

l (NoModeL) G. T. CHAPMAN. HEEL EXPANDER FOB. HORSES. No. 449,573. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

INVENTEIR W MW Azyflm mf (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2;

G. T. CHAPMAN.

' HEEL EXPANDBR FOBEORSES. No. 449,573. Patented Mar. 31, I891.

i l gi 7 a IINIVENTDR= J w w. ,w v 2a.; 2507 NITE STATES ATEN'I anion.

GEORGE T. CHAPMAN, OF XVIIITE PLAINS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO IVILIJIAM HARVEY MERRIT", OF NEIV YORK, IT. Y.

HEEL-EXPANDER FOR HORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,573, dated March 31 1891.

I Application filed August 8, 1889. fierial No. 320,170. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE 'l. CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of White Plains, in the county of lVestchester and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in IIeel-Expanders for Horses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a spring-expander of novel contrivance adapted for application between the bottom of the foot and the top of the inner edge of the shoe for expanding contracted heels of horses, as hereinafter fully described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the bottom of a shod foot fitted with my improved heel-expander, with a part of the shoe broken off. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the spring on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line so as, Fig. 1. Fig. at is a plan view of the eXpanding-sprin g alone. Fig. 5 is a plan of the spring in a modified form. Fig. (Sis a side elevation of the spring, as in Fig. 4., in position on a horseshoe. Fig. 7 is a hind elevation of the shoe-spring and a foot with a part of the latter sectioned to show the application of the spring.

I provide a U-spring a, of a single fiat bar widest at the middle and diminishing therefrom each wayto the ends, orof a series of bars of different lengths, placed side by side and bent edgewise, as shown, and being of the proper size for lodging on the inner margin of the upper surface of the shoe 1) and under the foot where the concavities of the hoof and shoe make space for it, as shown, so that, being compressed so as to be inserted between the bars of the shoe after the shoe is nailed on the hoof and allowed to expand, it will spring into the cavityin which it is represented and bear at the ends on the inner angles of the heel, and expand the heel with more or less force, according as the spring is adjusted, the spring keeping its place by the friction of its bearing-contact with the heels of the hoof and by confinement in the space above the shoe.

The spring may be placed on the hoof and be temporarily secured by tacks prior to the application of the shoe. It is represented as made with curved sides, about the same shape as the sides of the shoe, which is the preferred form; but it is not meant to be understood that the sides ofthe spring shall bear on the 1100f along the inner sides. It is only to extend into the space between the hoof and shoe sufficiently to confine the spring in position,

especially at the toe. It may not even overlap the shoe, except at the toe and heel but it is intended that it shall be substantially the same in form as the shoe for enabling the curve to be about as large as the foot will allow to permit of the use of the bar of the wide middle section shown by enabling it to bend without too severe strain, and the spring ranges along close to the inner edges of the shoe, which protect the spring in large measure from being displaced by stones. The shoe may be widened inwardly a little more than the ordinary shoe to afford the marginal space above for the spring to rest on, and the bottom of the hoof may be dressed out to make room for the spring with such a wider shoe or with one no wider than the ordinary shoe. For greater security of the spring against es-. caping from its position, I will in some cases make it with notches g at the extremities, as shown, to engage the heel angle-points d of the hoof, and thereby more firmly secure it in position; and I will also in some cases make the spring with a thin tongne-plate e at the middle of the outer edge to project between the shoe and the hoof and having a pointfhooking downward over the toe of the shoe, as indicated.inFigs.1 ands; but these devices probably will not be generally used. The bottom of the hoof will be recessed slightly to produce room for the tongue when used. I- propose in some cases to construct the spring with short legs h and feett' at the heel to elevate the heel ends of the spring into the clefts of the hoof, and take effect higher therein, and thus spread the heel upward more than when lying flat on the shoe, as I have represented in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. I propose to perforate the feet of the spring, as at t, and the tongue (2 at 70, so that I can nail the spring on the foot, so as to hold the spring without a shoe at times when the horse is in pasture with bare feet in the natural state, favoring recovery more than while wearing shoes. In this case the toe-hook f will be turned upward against the toe of the hoof, and it may be so turned as Well in the other arrangement. in this example I have represented the spring as made of a single flat bar creased in the upper and lower surfaces longitudinallyas it would appear if made of three narrower bars, placed side by side, and the sections divided by the creases are made in different lengths to graduate the spring, as springs of like character are usual y graduated; but the spring may be graduated by uniform tapers, if desired. If separate bars are used for the different sections, they may be connected by the usual projecting spurs of one entering correspendingindentations 0f the other or by other approved means.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The graduated U shaped spring-expander having the upright legs at the heel and laterally-projecting feet thereof, and being pointed at the extremities of the feet, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a horseshoe, of a graduated U -spring hoof-expander interposed between the upper inner margin of the shoe and the hoof to which the shoe is attached, and having the hooked tongue extension of the middle to engage the toe of the shoe, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a horseshoe, of a graduated U -spring hoof-expander interposed between the upper inner margin of the shoe and the hoof to which the shoe is attached, and having the notches of the heel extremities and the hooked tongue-extension of the middle, substantially as described.

4. The graduated U-spring hoof-expander having the tongue-extension of the middle and the perforations for nailing said spring to the hoof, substantially as described.

5. The graduated U-spring expander having the tongue-extension of the middle and the feet and legs at the heel and the perforations for nailing the spring to the hoof, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses this 26th day of July,

GEO. 'l. CHAPMAN. Witnesses:

\V. B. 11.411111, W. J. hIORGAN. 

